A mediator has been appointed to oversee discussions between the ACC and the University of Maryland in what could be the first step towards a settlement, according to the Washington Post.

On Monday it was revealed in a court filing that both parties had agreed on meeting with a mediator to discuss terms of a possible settlement. The appointed mediator will be the Bethesda-based Jonathan A. Marks.

The ACC and Maryland have been locked in a legal battle since 2012 when Maryland announced it was leaving the conference for the Big Ten. The ACC quickly filed a suit against Maryland seeking enforcement of the conference’s exit fee. Maryland countered with an antitrust suit against their soon-to-be former conference in January of 2014.

A mediator cannot force a settlement between two parties and neither side will be obligated to accept whatever he may decide.

Any sort of resolution is still a long way off, but this is a hopeful sign that both sides may at least be open to a possible settlement.